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Suspects caught in act of theft, police said

Two Benton men were arrested on Monday for allegedly stealing from a home while in the view of officers.
Lt. Kevin Russell, public information officer for the Benton Police Department, said at 12:15 a.m. officers drove to the 1400 block of Arkansas 35 South to check out a report of a suspicious vehicle in the area. What officers found was a truck backed up to a shop and two men loading items into the bed of the truck, Russell said.
"It was determined through the officers' investigation that the two men were stealing items from the shop," Russell said. "Information was gathered that indicated the men were stealing the items because they believed the items in the shop were owned by somebody who owed them money for illegal narcotics."
Donald Ball, 51, and 22-year-old Joshua Howman, both of Benton, were taken to the Saline County jail and each was charged with residential burglary and unauthorized use of another person's property to facilitate a crime. Ball is an active parolee.
As of press time, Ball remains in jail under a $10,000 sheriff's bond, but Howman posted a $2,000 sheriff's bond and was released from custody on Tuesday. Each is scheduled to appear in Benton District Court on March 12.
Russell noted that the investigation is continuing and more charges could be "forthcoming in the near future."
Anyone with information about this crime, or other crimes, is encouraged to call the Benton Police Department at 778-1171 or 315-TIPS (8477). Individuals also may send an anonymous tip to CRIMES (274637) with the keyword BNPD in the body of the text or go to www.crimereports.com to submit a tip to officers.